The Top 10 British Heavyweights of All Time | Bleacher Report The Top 10 British Heavyweights of All Time Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Associated Press It is possible that not all these three men feature on the list. 12.9K 11 Comments For many years, British heavyweights suffered a dismal reputation and were the butt of jokes in America, the country which ruled the division for most of the 20th century. In more recent years, Europe has seen a great revival in its heavyweight fortunes, and Britain has had its role in that. The poster boy for the low American perception of Brits was "Phaintin" Phil Scott, a 1920s heavy who was famed for hitting the canvas at the slightest foul and who once won three of four back-to-back fights by disqualification. Scott made it to a de facto world-title eliminator against Jack Sharkey in Miami, but after neither the referee, nor the commission, would uphold his claims about being fouled in Round 3, his record registers a third-round stoppage loss.

This came on the back of failures by earlier British champions "Bombardier" Billy Wells and Joe Beckett, who share the distinction of being knocked out in the first round of European title challenges against Georges Carpentier. At our lowest ebb, a Dorothy Parker witticism was twisted against our big men: “If all the British heavyweights in history were laid out end to end, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.” However, over the years Britain has had its fair share of European champions, if perhaps its world-title challengers have been more from the brave loser column than the glorious victor one. Whilst it is probably an exercise in futility to try to compare fighters from different eras in a pseudo-scientific fashion, here is an impressionistic selection of the best-ever British heavyweights. Associated Press Jack Petersen versus Jock McAvoy Welshman Jack Petersen never beat a top overseas fighter and retired at the age of 25 due to eye problems after a third defeat to German contender Walter Neusel. In terms of career-best wins, he is edged out by late-1950s stalwarts Brian London and Dick Richardson, as well as Brian’s father Jack London.

Nonetheless, amongst a host of nearly men, Petersen’s phenomenal early success and drawing power mark him out as something special. The early 1930s was a boom time for British boxing, when, for the first time, fights hit outdoor stadia in a big way. As British heavyweight champion from the age of 20, first between 1932-33 and then 1934-36, Petersen was right at the vanguard of it. He is arguably the biggest box-office draw in British boxing history, attracting crowds north of 50,000 on six occasions, first in his native Cardiff and later in London. Petersen’s defining rivalry was against Len Harvey, who outpointed him in 1933 to relieve him of the British title. Petersen won the rematch the next year by 12th round TKO in front of a British-record attendance of 90,000 at White City Stadium, and then took the rubber match in 1936.

The spoils from that trilogy, as well as wins over top light-heavyweight Jock McAvoy and Canadian champion Larry Gains, mark Petersen out as the top Brit from his short era. At his peak at the end of 1934, he was the seventh-ranked contender by Ring Magazine. Although perhaps better suited to the light-heavyweight division, Petersen chased the biggest fighters for the biggest fights and turned the British heavyweight scene into an attraction like never before. Sidney Smart/Associated Press Don Cockell wearing enough layers that you can't question his conditioning. It is a frequent complaint of the recent heavyweight scene that there are fighters who prosper without even being in proper shape—world title challengers Chris Arreola, Dereck Chisora and Eddie Chambers spring to mind. London-born British champion Don Cockell fell victim to the same jibes back in 1955 when he crossed the pond to challenge world titleholder Rocky Marciano. Cockell had gone from 175 pounds as a light heavyweight to as much as 210 pounds.

In that presentation, Cockell didn’t have the idealized physique of a pro sportsman but always insisted that his weight gain was due to a medical condition , not gluttony. That didn't stop the American press from coining a whole host of unkind nicknames when he arrived stateside—Dumpling Don, the Glandular Globe and the Battersea Butterball being only the choicest. Having previously lost his British light-heavyweight title to the undersized ring legend Randolph Turpin, Cockell enjoyed surprising success in the top division, beating an aged Tommy Farr before picking up the British title against Johnny Williams. Cockell’s biggest scalp was the Bronx fighter Roland LaStarza, whom he outpointed over 10 rounds at Earl’s Court in 1954. LaStarza had just pushed the champion Marciano close enough to win fight of the year awards and Cockell was then moved preposterously high up the Ring rankings—ending the year as the No. 2 contender . Cockell was given no chance at all against Marciano, and admittedly, he never looked in danger of springing the upset over nine gruelling rounds.

However, from the British perspective, the perceived constant fouling by The Rock, which included low blows, shots after the bell, and punches thrown when Cockell was down, made Cockell into a heroic loser . Unfortunately, he would never truly recover from the onslaught and retired the next year aged 27. 8. David Haye Tom Hevezi/Associated Press With only 47 rounds of heavyweight boxing to his name, you could argue David Haye is lucky to make the cut. On the other hand, on a head-to-head basis, he might be the favourite to beat as many as eight of the other nine. What Haye has in his favour is two wins over top-10 heavyweights: his tedious decision against Nikolai Valuev, and his career-best fifth-round TKO finish against Dereck Chisora. Haye is one of the most naturally gifted British boxers of all time, with great speed and power his principal advantages. His exciting run in the cruiserweight division is arguably second only to Evander Holyfield. At heavyweight, Haye proved extremely selective in choosing his opposition and, doubting his ability to absorb big shots, was much more cautious in the ring.

Against Valuev and Wladimir Klitschko, this resulted in tentative action over 24 uneventful rounds. Haye will be remembered for his disappointing showing against Klitschko, where he seemed to settle for a respectable points defeat rather than go all out for a victory. Perhaps he thought he would live to fight another day, but his recent injury troubles may nix the chance of a rematch. It would be a great shame if Haye is unable to fight again because his last performance against Chisora showed that he had the potential to be a truly great heavyweight. Chisora had never been stopped and had gone the distance with Vitali Klitschko, but Haye picked him apart with irresistible power and the best combination work seen by a heavyweight in some time. Looking back, Haye was the best heavyweight in the world not named Klitschko for a number of years, albeit in a weak era. However, he didn’t simply take on enough real challenges to consolidate his standing on the all-time lists. Leslie Priest/Associated Press Bruce Woodcock wins the British title, July 1945.

In July 1945, just two months after VE Day, Doncaster-born Bruce Woodcock challenged the experienced champion Jack London for the British heavyweight title. He ushered in a new era on the domestic scene with a shocking sixth-round KO—London had not been stopped for 11 years. Woodcock was thrown into the deep end the next year at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden. His big-punching opponent, Tami Mauriello, was coming off the back of 10 straight stoppage wins, and Woodcock became No. 11 in the fifth round. To this day there are those who criticise the handling of Woodcock and wonder if he could have gone further with more careful management through the ranks. Nonetheless, he was able to bounce back from the Mauriello fight, beating perennial contender Gus Lesnevich in one of a string of fights at Harringay Arena. A brutal seven-round loss to American Joe Baksi was soon evened out by a DQ win over Lee Savold before Woodcock’s true night of glory at White City Stadium.

British world light heavyweight champion Freddie Mills, then at the peak of his powers, challenged Woodcock for the British title in front of 46,000 people. Woodcock made his size advantage tell in the end, winning by stoppage in Round 14. Woodcock’s promoter then tried to bill his next bout, a rematch with Savold, as a vacant world heavyweight title clash, but few were sold on the idea . Woodcock lost because of a bad cut, and legend has it, he was already essentially blind in one eye. He would only fight once more. Although he never managed to put a run of wins together at world level, Woodcock’s good jab and dogged determination had him in Ring’s top 10 heavies for 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1949, peaking at No. 4 in 1946. John Gichigi/Getty Images Fourth-time lucky for Big Frank at Wembley Stadium. Frank Bruno won his world title at the fourth attempt—a luxury that would never have been afforded his predecessors in simpler and less forgiving times.

Whilst it is possible to argue that Bruno was a paper champ, the man he beat for the coveted WBC strap, Oliver McCall, had won it legitimately against Lennox Lewis, and at a time when Lewis was probably the most avoided man in the division. Certainly Bruno’s WBC reign was a lot more legitimate than David Haye’s WBA tilt, because there was genuine ambiguity at the time as to who was the top dog. Bruno also stayed at the top longer than those below him on the list—the count runs to 11 years between the win against Lucien Rodriguez, which announced him on the world stage in 1985, and his last fight against Mike Tyson. Although Bruno offered little resistance against Tyson, whom he fought twice, he did put up a good showing against Lewis in 1993, giving the future undisputed champion one of his toughest evenings. Bruno also won the European title against Anders Eklund and has a first-round stoppage win over the usually competitive South African Gerrie Coetzee. He ended his career with 38 KOs across 40 wins, a testament to his natural power and some canny matchmaking.

Outside of the ring, Bruno’s affable personality and willingness to send himself up on Comic Relief and in pantomime helped make him into a true household name. Although poor stamina dogged Bruno and played a part in losses to world-class Americans Tim Witherspoon and James "Bonecrusher" Smith, he dug in late on against McCall to clinch a famous and popular victory in front of an ecstatic crowd at Wembley Stadium. Associated Press/Associated Press Tommy Farr (right) dines with Joe Louis years after their exciting matchup. Like Don Cockell 18 years later, Farr earned great respect in a losing effort for the world heavyweight title. Unlike Cockell, Farr went the 15-round distance in his 1937 challenge to Joe Louis, and some of his most blinkered supporters even thought he had a case to have beaten the fabled champion. Wales has a notably rich history in the heavyweight division—along with Jack Petersen, there is British champion Joe Erskine and European champion Dick Richardson. But it is Farr, "the Tonypandy Terror," who tops that list. After a spectacular third-round KO win over able German Walter Neusel, Farr had five straight fights in the US.

It is arguably the toughest run of fights ever taken on by a British heavyweight, starting with Louis, and also including former champions Jim Braddock and Max Baer (whom he had previously beaten on British soil). Farr was the very model of the plucky British loser—he actually lost all five of those fights, although he was probably unlucky to drop a split decision to Braddock. Back in Britain he immediately beat one of those five, Red Burman, in a rematch. But it is his dance with Louis that will cast his name into eternity. Farr went a long way to restoring the reputation of British heavyweights with his unrelenting effort. He took a lot of punishment from a ferocious puncher to go the distance, but he had surprising amounts of success and won at least five of the 15 rounds despite bad cuts around his eyes. It is a testament to Farr’s indefatigability that Louis, many people’s pick as the greatest-ever heavy, had won eight of his previous nine by stoppage and would complete a sweep of stoppages in the next seven that followed. It is estimated that as many as 10 million listened to Louis-Farr on radio in the UK and Prof.

Peter Stead, co-author of Wales and Its Boxers, has said , “You could argue that Tommy's fight against Louis was the first sporting media event on a Wales-wide basis.” Anonymous/Associated Press Joe Bugner alongside two-time opponent Muhammad Ali. Three of the top four here can be questioned on grounds of nationality. Joe Bugner was born in Hungary and in his twilight years competed as "Aussie Joe," having relocated to Queensland. All the same, he debuted in the UK in 1967 and was based here through his prime until 1977. Bugner is another British heavy who is strangely more notable for good losses than good wins—he went the distance with Joe Frazier and twice with Muhammad Ali, including a 1975 world title fight in Malaysia. Bugner, like Haye, was criticised for negative tactics on the biggest night of his life. Whilst Haye immediately blamed a bad toe, Bugner went for the tropical climate of Kuala Lumpur, arguing it was too hot and humid to fight in a more energetic fashion. Many fans viewed Bugner as a frustrating figure and his pragmatism jarred with romantic conceptions of the fight game.

Bugner himself believed he was unpopular because he finished the career of fan favourite Henry Cooper, as recorded in Stephen Brunt's Facing Ali , “I was never forgiven for that. I took out Old Henry.” The 15-round decision win over Cooper was one of Bugner’s eight wins in European title fights, a record for a British heavyweight. He was the dominant European fighter in one of the richest eras of heavyweight boxing, as underlined by his first-round KO win over British champion Richard Dunn in 1976. His peak in the global standings came at the end of 1974, when he was ranked as the Ring Magazine's fifth contender in the world , behind champion Ali, George Foreman, Frazier, Ron Lyle and Oscar Bonavena. Standing 6’4” with a long reach, Bugner was an impressive physical specimen who would dwarf many of his predecessors on the list. Although he never quite put it together for a signature performance, his longevity and ability to keep it competitive against all-time greats merits his strong showing.

Frank Tewkesbury/Associated Press Henry Cooper, Floyd Patterson and Billy Walker Henry Cooper will always be first remembered for his 1963 fight with Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay), when he came within a whisker of stopping the world’s most revered fighter before he’d really got started. Cooper felled Clay with his famous left hook—"Enry’s ‘Ammer"—near the end of the fourth round. Clay was saved by the bell, and what happened next remains a topic of controversy, with accusations that Clay’s trainer Angelo Dundee used illegal smelling salts in his corner and caused a delay by tearing one of his fighter’s gloves . Ultimately Clay recovered and would prevail because Cooper fell victim to severe cuts to the face, a problem that would resurface in their rematch three years later, that time with the world title at stake. Cooper was heavily criticised by Bugner for always losing when he stepped much above British level, and there is some truth to this. Apart from a win over Zora Folley in 1958 (which was later avenged), he struggled in losses to top Americans, such as Amos Johnson and former world champion Floyd Patterson.

However, it was on the domestic scene that Cooper earned his spurs. The UK talent pool was extremely deep in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and Cooper ultimately emerged from the pack as the numero uno. Cooper won three from five against Joe Erskine, twice stopped Dick Richardson in five, beat world-title challenger Brian London three times and rounded off his domestic run with wins over the golden-boy Billy Walker and future British champion Jack Bodell. In prevailing from this tricky domestic battleground, Cooper gained almost unprecedented popularity, winning Sports Personality of the Year twice and eventually being knighted Sir Henry in 2000. Associated Press Fitzsimmons (left) versus James J. Corbett in 1897. Bob Fitzsimmons never actually fought in the UK—he was born in Cornwall in 1863 before moving to New Zealand as a child, and then he turned pro in Australia, while his career highlights took place in the US, where he became a citizen. Even so, Fitzsimmons is traditionally considered a UK fighter, so here he is.

This is before the question as to whether Fitzsimmons was really a heavyweight at all, as he never weighed more than 175 pounds during a career in which he held the world middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight championships. Because of those achievements, Fitzsimmons would rank highest out of anyone on this list in pound-for-pound terms, but his short reign as heavyweight champion keeps him off the top spot. Fitzsimmons won the heavyweight title in 1897, becoming only the third man to hold it in the modern era. He conquered champion James J. Corbett by 14th round KO, despite being outweighed by perhaps 15 pounds. When Fitzsimmons lost the title to James J. Jeffries two year later, he was outweighed by as much as 39 pounds, a startling fact which underlined his bravery and audacity at competing in the top division at all, let alone succeeding. It would be the equivalent of putting Carl Froch in with David Haye today. Fitzsimmons remains the lightest man to hold the heavyweight title, a record that could not be broken today due to sanctioning rules.

In his later years he would square off against and lose to future world champion Jack Johnson, again at a huge size disadvantage. Such was "Ruby" Robert’s power that Ring Magazine once ranked him as the eighth greatest puncher of all time , across all divisions. John Gichigi/Getty Images Undisputed Champion: no man has held all those belts together since Lewis retired. After Bob Fitzsimmons, it would take exactly 100 years for the next undisputed British world-heavyweight champion. That man, Lennox Lewis, would ultimately eclipse Fitzsimmons’ achievements in the top division, aided by an extra five-and-a-half inches of height and 75 pounds of weight at 6’5” and 245 pounds. Lewis was born in London before moving to Canada aged 12, the country for which he’d win Olympic gold in 1988. Lewis returned to the UK when he turned professional and went on to win both the British and European heavyweight titles. No heavyweight before Lewis’ era had combined such a large frame with first-class balance, power and athleticism, and he ushered in the super-heavyweight era which the Klitschko brothers have continued.

Because of this unusual combination of attributes, Lewis lines up well against pretty much any heavyweight in history. The leading American heavyweights of the 1990s: Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe were less than eager to face Lewis, who was thought to entail more risk than the financial rewards he could bring to the table. Bowe in particular outright refused to face Lewis and was stripped of the WBC title. Lewis’ career then hit a major setback when he was shockingly stopped in the second round by Oliver McCall in 1994. Lewis beat McCall in a rematch three years later (as he would his only other conqueror, Hasim Rahman, in 2001) but had to wait until 1999 for his first big shot against Evander Holyfield. After a hotly debated draw, Lewis beat Holyfield on points at the second attempt before cleaning out the division, the most high-profile fight being the overcooked showdown with Mike Tyson–a fight Lewis won by eighth-round stoppage.

Lewis ultimately reigned for four years as heavyweight champion, beating Vitali Klitschko by cuts-related stoppage in his last fight, but he could surely have beaten Holyfield at an earlier date were it not for the politics that surround the sport. Unlike quite a few names on this list, Lewis has avoided an ill-advised comeback, despite the huge sums potentially on offer. Tyson Fury beats Wladimir Klitschko to become world champion - BBC Sport BBC Sport Tyson Fury beats Wladimir Klitschko to become world champion By Ben Dirs Read more about sharing. Tyson Fury secured a unanimous points decision to become the new world heavyweight champion Britain's Tyson Fury pulled off one of the great boxing upsets as he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko to become heavyweight champion of the world. It was a dour and often messy fight but Fury, courtesy of his superior boxing skills, fully deserved to be awarded a unanimous decision. Ukrainian Klitschko, whose nine-year reign as champion was brought to an end, simply could not work the challenger out and did not do enough to win.

Fury, who was awarded the fight 115-112, 115-112, 116-111 on the judges' scorecards, is now the WBA, IBF and WBO champion. The 27-year-old Manchester fighter is only Britain's fifth bona fide heavyweight world champion after Bob Fitzsimmons, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno and David Haye. Herbie Hide and Henry Akinwande both held WBO versions of the title at a time when the organisation's title holders were not widely recognised as genuine world champions. Fun and games pay off for Fury Media playback is not supported on this device World champion Fury's crazy antics "You're a great champion Wlad, thanks very much for having me," said Fury, moments after his win was announced in Dusseldorf. The self-styled 'Gypsy King' had taunted his opponent before the fight and even dressed as Batman at one news conference. "It was all fun and games in the build-up, I just wanted to be confident, young and brash," said Fury, who had complained about the thickness of the foam under the ring canvas before the bout.

To the delight of British fans in the 50,000-capacity Esprit Arena, he burst into a rendition of Aerosmith's hit ballad I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, dedicating it to his wife and his fans in Ireland, the UK, the United States and Germany. More on Fury's victory Confounding the doubters Klitschko had not been beaten since 2004 and his second reign as champion included 19 successful defences. This represented a big step up in class for Fury, whose biggest previous win was against fellow Briton Dereck Chisora (twice). After a build-up which included Fury impersonating Bette Midler at a public workout, few expected the Englishman to make good on his promises and dethrone Klitschko. But Fury's mobility and head movement, as well as his ability to switch between orthodox and southpaw, added up to a puzzle the 39-year-old champion simply could not work out.

Fury wobbled Klitschko with a right-hander in the ninth round How the fight unfolded Fury came charging out of his corner at the sound of the first bell but thereafter it was a cagey first round which the challenger probably won courtesy of a couple of ramrod jabs. The second was another tight affair but with Klitschko unwilling to open up and unleash his fabled right cross, the more ambitious Fury - who looked remarkably relaxed given the circumstances - probably nicked it again. Fury's switch to southpaw at the start of the third failed to draw Klitschko out of his shell and it was becoming apparent that the champion was finding his British rival more difficult to work out than perhaps he had anticipated. After the fourth, during which Klitschko was again frustrated, there was a sense of disbelief among the German fans that their hero was finding the task so onerous. Klitschko did finally land with a big right hand in the fifth but Fury took it well and in the following round he openly taunted his rival, dropping his gloves and offering his chin, which Klitschko was still unable to locate.

Klitschko had to be treated for cuts as Fury landed with some punishing blows Klitschko looks his age In the seventh, Fury went one stage further, crossing his arms behind his back, and at the end of the eighth there were plenty of concerned looks in Klitschko's corner. The cut champion, all of a sudden, looked every one of his 39 years. Both men showed more willingness to engage in the ninth, with Fury sending Klitschko staggering towards the ropes with a meaty overhand right, and by the 10th the champion was showing real signs of fatigue. The fight became messier in the 11th, with American referee Tony Weeks frequently having to pull the boxers apart, and Fury was docked a point for punching the back of the head. With the result in the balance, both men went at it in the final three minutes but neither of them was able to land a clean, knockout blow. Five facts about Tyson Fury Background: Fury was born into a family of Irish travellers.

His father, John Fury, was a bare-knuckle fighter in the 1980s, who was jailed in 2011 for gouging a man's eye out. Lightweight to heavyweight: Tyson was born three months premature and weighed in at 1lb - doctors described his chances of survival as slim. What's in a name? His father named him 'Tyson' as world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was in his pomp when Fury was born in August 1988. Father time: Fury and wife Paris have a five-year-old daughter called Venezuela and three-year-old son Prince. Sporting chance: Fury, a Manchester United fan, represented both Ireland and England at amateur level Tyson Fury - champion of the world Fury has won all 25 of his fights, 18 of them by knockout Unbeaten Fury, written off beforehand by many pundits, was clocking up his 25th straight win. Before Saturday, Klitschko had 65 wins from 68 professional fights stretching back to 1996, and he can take some consolation from the fact he surpassed Joe Louis' previous record of 28 heavyweight world title fights.

There may yet be a rematch although victory over America's WBC champion Deontay Wilder, if that fight could be made, would make Fury the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Britain's Lewis in 2000. Other potential opponents include compatriot Haye - who twice pulled out of a fight against Fury in 2013 and is making a comeback in January - and Britain's Olympic champion Anthony Joshua, who is unbeaten in 14 professional fights, all by knockout. Joshua's next fight is against Dillian Whyte for the vacant British title on 12 December and while 2016 is probably too soon for a fight against Fury, it could happen the following year. A win which shook social media David Haye came out of retirement last week but was beaten by Klitschko in 2009 Lennox Lewis was the last Briton to hold all four heavyweight titles, Fury now has three American Deontay Wilder holds the only other world title in the heavyweight division Former heavyweight champion of the world Frank Bruno congratulated his fellow Briton Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko to become Britain's eighth world heavyweight boxing champion, but who are the other seven?

| Daily Mail Online Next Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko to become Britain's eighth world heavyweight boxing champion, but who are the other seven? Tyson Fury joins the likes of Lennox Lewis, and Frank Bruno on list of British world heavyweight champions Fury picked up a unanimous decision win over long-time ruler of the heavyweight division Wladimir Klitschko Lennox Lewis has three spells as heavyweight king while Bob Fitzsimmons was the first three-weight champion Michael Bentt and Frank Bruno both lost their heavyweight crowns in their first ever title defences The Best of the Big Men: Recalling Britain's 8 Heavyweight World Champions | Bleacher Report The Best of the Big Men: Recalling Britain's 8 Heavyweight World Champions By Rob Lancaster , Featured Columnist Mar 19, 2016 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Simon Bruty/Getty Images Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis do battle in Cardiff, Wales, in 1993. 5.8K 6 Comments Heavyweight boxing is big in Britain right now—and not just because of the fighters' size.

Tyson Fury is the reigning WBA and WBO world champion, having sensationally beaten Wladimir Klitschko. David Haye's return to action has also increased interest in the division, while Anthony Joshua has become a huge hit with fans since turning pro after his gold-medal success at the 2012 Olympics. While both Fury and Haye—a former WBA champion himself—have won major belts, Joshua is preparing for his opportunity to join a select band of British heavyweights who have won a world title. The Londoner takes on IBF holder Charles Martin on April 9 in just his 16th professional bout. Ahead of the showdown, Bleacher Report has looked back at the eight previous British heavyweights who ruled the world (or at least one governing body's version of it). Bob Fitzsimmons was a three-weight world champion. Record: 63-8-4 (59 KOs) Bob Fitzsimmons is one of only two British fighters to win world titles at three different weights (the other being Duke McKenzie, in case you didn't know). Born in Cornwall, England, Ruby Robert emigrated to New Zealand with his family at the age of nine and began his boxing career in Australia.

Having already reigned at middleweight, he officially became heavyweight world champion in 1897, knocking out James J. Corbett with a body punch in Round 14. Fitzsimmons' reign came to an end against James J. Jeffries in 1899, as he was stopped by the heavier man. A rematch in 1902 produced the same outcome, although Jeffries said of his rival, according to Matt Christie of Boxing News: "You’re the most dangerous man alive.” Fitzsimmons would drop down to light heavyweight, beating George Gardner on points to become a world champion again. He retired in 1914 and died three years later at the age of 54. Lennox Lewis retired as a world champion after beating Vitali Klitschko. Professional record: 41-2-1 (32 KOs) Born in London, Lennox Lewis won a gold medal boxing for Canada at the 1988 Olympic Games—he defeated future world champion Riddick Bowe in the final. However, in the paid ranks, WBC champion Bowe opted against a rematch.

After the American dumped the belt in a bin, Lewis defeated Tony Tucker on points to claim the vacant title in 1993. Lewis suffered a shock loss to Oliver McCall just over a year later, only to gain revenge—and claim the belt back—in a rematch, although the result was overshadowed by the American's odd behaviour in the ring . He added the IBF, IBO and WBA titles by beating Evander Holyfield at the second attempt in 1999, albeit he was stripped of the WBA version after choosing to face Michael Grant instead of John Ruiz. Hasim Rahman dethroned the undisputed heavyweight champion in 2001 with a stunning knockout in South Africa. Lewis won their second meeting, then rounded out his career with victories over Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko. After roaring one last time, The Lion retired as holder of the IBO and WBC belts. He said, per BBC Sport : "It's not easy being heavyweight champion, even harder to keep it and stay at the top." Michael Bentt became a world champion in just his 12th pro fight.

Record: 11-2 (6 KOs) Michael Bentt became world champion in just his 12th professional fight, sensationally knocking out Tommy Morrison in Oklahoma to pick up the WBO title. The heavyweight was hardly a novice, however. Born in London but raised in New York, Bentt won the United States Amateur Boxing Championship five times. He missed out on competing at the 1988 Olympics, with rival Ray Mercer going on to win a gold medal, and instead turned pro in 1989. Morrison had plans to fight Lennox Lewis, per BoxRec , and the bout with Bentt was seen as good preparation. Instead, the challenger knocked his rival down three times to win in 93 seconds. However, his reign, as well as his career, proved to be short-lived. Bentt lost in his first defence, a bad-tempered clash with Britain's Herbie Hide. He also nearly lost his life, as he collapsed after being knocked out in Round 7. He spent the next four days in a coma with brain injuries but made a full recovery. With his boxing career over, Bentt moved into acting.

He did return to the ring again, though, as he played the role of Sonny Liston in the film Ali directed by Michael Mann. Herbie Hide twice held the WBO title during his professional career. Record: 49-4 (43 KOs) Herbie Hide—whose full name is Herbert Okechukwu Maduagwu—was born in Nigeria but raised in Britain. He was WBO champion not once but twice, beating Michael Bentt to claim the belt for the first time in 1994. It wasn't the first fight between the pair—they had also scuffled in the street after a press conference. Hide's initial reign was brief, with Riddick Bowe knocking him out in Round 6 of his maiden defence. However, Hide had the chance to regain the belt when it became vacant in 1997. He duly stopped Tony Tucker in a hurry in his adopted home of Norwich, England. The Dancing Destroyer did manage to hold on to the WBO strap for a little longer second time around, beating Damon Reed and Willi Fischer in his next two bouts.

Hide did lose to Vitali Klitschko in 1999, but that wasn't quite the end of the road for him. He dropped down to cruiserweight as he carried on fighting until 2010. Henry Akinwande defeated Jeremy Williams to claim the vacant WBO title in 1996. Record: 50-4-1 (30 KOs) Henry Akinwande was born in Dulwich, London. He moved away to Nigeria at the age of four, only to return to England 17 years later. He represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympics before turning pro the following year. After becoming Commonwealth and European champion (beating Axel Schulz at the second attempt after their first contest was judged as a draw), his chance at a world title arrived in 1996. Akinwande eased to victory over Jeremy Williams, knocking out the American in Round 3 to pick up the WBO strap that had been vacated by Riddick Bowe. He made two successful defences before giving up the belt to fight WBC champion Lennox Lewis in 1997.

It should have been his big opportunity, but instead, Akinwande saw his unbeaten record come to a sorry end. Having shown little interest in fighting, referee Mills Lane disqualified him for persistent holding. Glyn Leach wrote in the Independent: "Intimidated by the power and strength of the champion, Akinwande, 31, clung on for dear life wherever possible, ruining the contest as a spectacle." Akinwande never received another opportunity to fight at the highest level, despite continuing his career for a further 11 years. There was barely a dry eye in the house when Frank Bruno finally struck gold. Record: 40-5 (38 KOs) Franklin Roy Bruno has to be the most popular British boxer to ever win a heavyweight title. The big man with the big smile won the hearts of the public with his ability to flatten opponents, as well as his post-fight interviews with respected commentator Harry Carpenter. Yet Bruno struggled desperately to clear the final hurdle, as he lost three world-title challenges. His defeats made him the kind of lovable loser Brits adore.

However, the London-born boxer did eventually get his hands on a major belt, holding off a late rally from Oliver McCall to claim the WBC title with a points triumph at Wembley Stadium in the English capital in 1995. The previous failures against Tim Witherspoon, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis were quickly forgotten, with Bruno even given an open-top bus ride around London to celebrate his success. He did not hold the belt for too long—Tyson beat old foe Bruno in his first defence—but it did not really matter, as Big Frank was already a national treasure. An eye injury forced him to hang up his gloves, with Bruno saying, per the Los Angeles Times : "I've had a good innings; I'm chilled." David Haye Boris Streubel/Getty Images David Haye has returned to the ring with the aim of becoming a two-time heavyweight world champion. Record: 27-2 (25 KOs) David Haye didn't hang around at heavyweight, winning the WBA belt in just his second outing after making the step up from cruiserweight.

The Londoner had become the dominant force at the 200-pound weight limit, knocking out Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli in 2008 to hold the WBA, WBC and WBO belts. The following year he took on the monumental challenge of facing Nikolai Valuev. The Russian—who stood 7'0"—had claimed the belt by beating John Ruiz and then successfully defended it against Evander Holyfield. However, Haye had the perfect plan to deal with Valuev. By staying on the move, he made his plodding opponent look lost. He even wobbled him in Round 12, but settled for a majority-decision win on the cards. After defending the title against Ruiz and Audley Harrison, Haye's reign ended at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko after a rather forgettable 12 rounds. A shoulder injury seemed to have sent the Englishman into retirement in 2013, only for him to make a return to the ring in 2016.

Haye told Mike Walters of the Mirror: "George Foreman took 10 years out, came back and won the WBA world heavyweight title at 46 when he beat Michael Moorer, so I’m not going to put a deadline on it." Tyson Fury ended Wladimir Klitschko's long reign of dominance in the division. Record: 25-0 (18 KOs) Tyson Fury can talk the talk (even when he turns up dressed as Batman to a press conference ), but he also proved he can walk the walk by beating Wladimir Klitschko. The Manchester-born fighter ended the Ukrainian's long, long, reign, as he handed Klitschko his first loss in 11 years. In doing so, he claimed the IBF, WBA and WBO belts in Dusseldorf, Germany. Fury flummoxed his rival with clever head movement and an unwillingness to stand still. He had also unnerved the champion with his pre-fight antics, including demanding a layer of foam was taken off the ring and forcing Klitschko to have his hands wrapped twice, per David Anderson of the Mirror.

The challenger could even afford to have a point deducted in Round 11 as he recorded a unanimous-points win. Klitschko announced on Instagram he would be taking up the clause in the contract for a rematch, although details of when and where the second fight will take place are yet to be confirmed. British heavyweight world champions | The Independent British heavyweight world champions Monday 9 November 2009 15:19 BST Click to follow 13/13 GETTY IMAGES With victory over Nikolay Valuev, David Haye became the first Briton since Lennox Lewis to become a heavyweight world champion. Here we take a look at the British boxers who reached the summit in the heavyweight division. More about: Close We've noticed that you are using an ad blocker. Advertising helps fund our journalism and keep it truly independent. It helps to build our international editorial team, from war correspondents to investigative reporters, commentators to critics. Click here to view instructions on how to disable your ad blocker, and help us to keep providing you with free-thinking journalism - for free. Thank you for your support.

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Thank you for supporting independent.co.uk Continue to our site Tommy Morrison obituary | Sport | The Guardian Tommy Morrison obituary World heavyweight boxing champion with a star role in Rocky V Tommy Morrison, right, lands a punch on George Foreman during their title fight in 1993. Photograph: John Gurzinski/AFP Wednesday 11 September 2013 11.55 EDT First published on Wednesday 11 September 2013 11.55 EDT Share on Messenger Close When Tommy Morrison outpointed George Foreman to win the WBO version of the world heavyweight boxing title in 1993, it seemed he had it all. He was then aged 24, and three years earlier had starred in the film Rocky V alongside Sylvester Stallone . With millions in the bank and an internationally recognised face, he had beaten a huge figure in Foreman and was intent on cashing in on his fame. But his life changed forever in 1996 when he tested HIV positive, and his boxing licence was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic commission. In a nationally broadcast press conference, Morrison said: "I lived a permissive, fast and reckless lifestyle.

I hope I can serve as a warning that living this lifestyle can really only lead to one thing, and that's misery. I thought I was bulletproof and I'm not." A decade later Morrison, who has died aged 44, claimed that the test had been false and made a sad comeback in two obscure and meaningless fights. Born in Gravette, Arkansas, and raised in Oklahoma, Morrison was the son of an Irish-American father, Tim, and Native American mother, Diana. He claimed to be a distant relative of the film star John Wayne, and adopted the boxing nickname of "The Duke". With two uncles and an older brother who had boxed, Morrison was strongly encouraged by his father to take up a sport in which he quickly showed talent. A fake ID enabled him to box under the required age of 21, and he fought successfully in unlicensed Oklahoma "toughman" contests before coming close to selection for the 1988 US Olympic team, losing a box-off to the eventual heavyweight gold medallist, Ray Mercer.

Embarking on a professional career in 1988, Morrison was spotted soon afterwards by Stallone, who cast him as Tommy Gunn, a protege of the retired boxer Rocky Balboa in Rocky V (1990). After a break for filming, Morrison returned to boxing and obliterated a succession of no-hopers such as James Tillis and the former WBC champion Pinklon Thomas, more often than not with a trademark powerful left hook, before facing Mercer for the WBO title in 1991 and being stopped after only five rounds. Two years later came the Foreman fight. George later recalled: "He was a good puncher and he could hit. I thought he would have a great career. Stardom can be tough. One day, no one pays you any attention. The next, you are this good-looking popular guy that everyone wants a piece of, and your whole life explodes." Shockingly, and probably as a result of some seriously hard partying, Morrison lost the title only four months later, in October 1993, when he was knocked out inside a round by a little known fighter, Michael Bentt.

Nevertheless, by 1995, Morrison was being discussed as a possible future opponent for Mike Tyson and was first matched in a title eliminator in Atlantic City against Britain's Lennox Lewis. Morrison was given a horrible beating as Lewis produced one of his finest performances, stopping the American in six rounds, although Lewis would subsequently say that Morrison was one of the hardest punchers he had faced. Morrison tested HIV positive before a planned contest that would have steered him towards the long anticipated Tyson showdown. Without the discipline of boxing in his life, he was soon in trouble. After a number of drink, drug and firearms-related offences, in 2000 he was imprisoned for two years. Although the Nevada State Athletic Commission insisted their 1996 blood tests were accurate, Morrison challenged the results of the finding and was able to get himself two low-profile wins, in 2007 and 2008, leaving him with a career record of 48 wins (with 42 knockouts), three defeats and one draw. Morrison is survived by his wife Trisha and three sons, Trey, Kenzie and Tristin.

• Tommy David Morrison, boxer, born 2 January 1969; died 1 September 2013

Question: Who was the last World Heavyweight Boxing champion born in Great Britain?
Answer: LENNOX LEWIS